Fourteen-year-old Alex has no idea that he's descended from the world's most famous vampire hunter, but that changes fast when he arrives at Glenarvon Academy and confronts two vampires in his first three days. Turns out Glenarvon isn't the only school near Lake Geneva. Hidden deep underground lies an ancient university for vampires called the Scholomance. And the deadly vampire clan lord known as Icemaker? You might say he's a visiting professor.

When two of Alex's friends are kidnapped by Icemaker, it's up to Alex to infiltrate the Scholomance and get them back—alive. Assisted by the Polidorium, a top-secret vampire-hunting organization with buried ties to the Van Helsings, Alex dodges zombies, bullets, and lots—and lots—of fangs on his way to thwarting Icemaker's plans and fulfilling his family destiny.

My Review: This is a really good book. It was really action packed all the way to the end. And even though there was action in the last chapter I think the author did a good job of writing it so that the cliff hanger wasn’t huge but enough to make you glad Alex Van Helsing is a series! Vampire Rising is a quick paced, very fast read at 249 pages! So its perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon.

Sure this book has Vampires, but this book is centered on hunting them which personally is an appreciated change because its something different!

This may sound strange but I really liked how Henderson gave Alex Van Helsing glasses/ contacts and had Alex deal with that. It just made him seem more real to me…like he was more than just a Vampire Hunter in a book.